Social and biological predictors of early menopause: a model for premature aging

Abstract

Females who smoke run an increased risk of early menopause, whereas relative hyperinsulinaemia is independently associated with later menopause. At the age of 40 years, high insulin levels in females might be just a marker for normal female sex hormone physiology, not for insulin resistance, as seen in postmenopausal female subjects. Early menopause might be useful as a potential model of premature ageing.